


Out of Bounds

by xenosaurus



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Injury Recovery, Minor Original Character(s), Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-16 23:20:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9294194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xenosaurus/pseuds/xenosaurus
Summary: Finn enjoys all the little things he never had as a Stormtrooper.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my 100th fanfiction on ao3 and I have no idea how to process that. No beta on this one and I'm relatively new to Star Wars, so let's hope it isn't TOO much of a mess.
> 
> Enjoy the shameless happyfic, everyone!

There are a lot of things Stormtroopers never get the chance to do. They are the human pieces that make up a colossal machine. If something doesn't serve the empire, then they are not allowed to have it.

*

Stormtroopers follow a strict diet plan, utilitarian and bland.  Food is fuel, and nothing more.

*

"Here, try these," Poe says, pushing a bowl across the table. Finn, already midway through a plate of buttery nut bread he's sharing with Rey, gives this new offering his attention.

The bowl is full of thick, juicy slices of red fruit.

"What is it?" Finn asks. Rey doesn't even wait for an answer, spearing one of the slices with her fork. In the weeks she's been back on base, he has never once seen her turn down food.

"Sticky melon," Poe says, smiling as Rey bites into it. Her eyes widen.

"That's the sweetest thing I've ever tasted."

"Let me try," Finn says, leaning into Rey to get equal access to the bowl. He stabs his own slice and pops it into his mouth.

It's sweet. It's almost  _violently_  sweet, wiping the taste of nut bread from his mouth entirely.

"Oh, wow," He says. "How can you eat a whole bowl of this?"

Poe laughs and shakes his head.

"Most of the time people bake it into pastries."

"Yeah, but  _you_  have a whole bowl," Finn points out.

"Doesn't seem to be bothering Rey at all."

Finn turns his attention back to Rey to find that she's still eating the melon.

"Seriously, guys?"

*

Stormtroopers are expected to sleep during allotted hours, and at no other time. They do not sleep in or take naps.

*

Rey has all the blankets again.

It's the third time this week Finn's woken to find that she's has cocooned herself in her sleep. One of her legs is exposed, the other helplessly tangled. She looks ridiculous.

Finn grins sleepily at her for a moment before rolling over to snuggle closer. Rey radiates heat, which makes her blanket theft far more tolerable.

The sun is already up, but they have a free morning. Finn hides from the light by shoving his face into the bunched up sheets trapping Rey's shoulder. She sighs softly but doesn't wake up.

Finn drifts back asleep.

*

Stormtroopers do not get to heal. If they can't stand up and walk on your own, they are left behind.

*

Finn takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.

"It will be over quickly," The medical droid promises, just before he starts the injections. Finn holds his breath until it's over, then releases it all at once.

"There you go. Not so bad, now, was it?" MT-2 has a quick-paced, almost chirpy voice. The droid has been handling most of Finn's medical care now that he's moved into the physical therapy portion of recovery.

"How many more of those do I need?" Finn complains, rolling his shoulders and wincing. He hates the steroid injections. MT-2 makes a noise approximating a tongue click Finn's often heard from the human doctor.  The sound being recognizable at all is pretty impressive, given that the droid doesn't have an actual mouth.

"However many it takes to get the muscles working again," The droid says primly. He steps away from Finn and starts putting away his diagnostic equipment. Finn watches him do it, even though he has no idea what any of that stuff is for. MT-2 had seemed pleased enough by the readings, at least.

"You can go collect Mr. Dameron now," MT-2 chirps, closing the cabinet. Finn gives him a puzzled look.

"Wait, what?"

"Doctor Zabahn finally... _convinced_ him to accept a followup exam when he came to pick you up. He's been avoiding it since Jakku, so we appreciate your assistance, knowing or otherwise."

Finn stands up too quickly and winces when the muscles in his back pull uncomfortably.

"Don't undo all my hard work," MT-2 scolds. Finn's heard Doctor Zabahn say that exact phrase at least four times since he started treatment.

"Yes sir," Finn says, almost automatically. MT-2 makes the tongue clicking noise again, then makes a shooing gesture with his hands. Finn leaves the examination room, heads into the hub area for the med bay.

Sure enough, Doctor Zabahn has Poe sitting in one of the waiting area chairs.

"Honestly, all of you pilots are the same. You fall out of the sky and four minutes later, you think the middle of an airfield is the place you ought to be," The doctor is shining a light into Poe's eyes. "You are lucky you don't have a concussion."

"Hey, when there's a battle to fight," Poe says, shrugging. The doctor sighs and rolls her eyes.

"At least show up for your appointments.  I would hate to have to send MT-2 after you."

"MT-2 isn't a combat droid," Poe points out, though he's grinning.

"If you think I won't weaponize my surgical assistant, you are sorely mistaken."

"You can do that?" Finn asks without thinking.

"Oh, hey buddy! You done? Rey wants to meet us for lunch," Poe tries to duck around Doctor Zabahn while he's talking.

"Poe Dameron, you will sit still or I am telling the General you have brain damage."

*

Stormtroopers do not have public displays of affection. Any kind of friendly relationship is rare and kept as hidden as possible. Discovery means separation or worse.

*

Rey leans against Finn during a briefing. It's late, and everyone is worn out from drills.  Finn is tired to the bone, completely ready to drop into bed. Rey, who has the extra burden of her Jedi training, is obviously feeling it as well. Finn doesn't mind taking a little of her weight.

Finn is getting used to being a fixture in her personal space, but it still makes his stomach flutter.  Rey is cautious with touch with everyone except him.  She's kept him in her orbit whenever possible since Starkiller.

"Alright, you can all go to bed now.  Good work today."

The minute the words are out of the General's mouth, everyone starts to filter out of the briefing room.  Rey steps away from Finn, but takes his hand before she starts following the crowd.

"You were amazing today," She tells him as they walk out into the hallway.

"Says the woman who was pushing people across the room with her mind before lunch," Finn says, giving her hand a little squeeze. Rey smiles and opens her mouth to respond, only to get cut off by a yawn. One of the pilots walking down the hallway behind them laughs.

"Stop flirting and go get some sleep."

They ignore him.

*

Stormtroopers have regulated schedules and all "downtime" is used for eating, sleeping or hygiene.

*

"I don't think I'll ever tire of the view," Rey sighs, looking out at the horizon.  She's perched on the wing of one of the ships, her legs hanging off the side.  Finn is halfway up to join her.

"Poe says if we ask, the General might assign us a room with an out-facing window," He comments, finding a stable place to sit.  Rey shuffles over to give him space, not looking away from the tree line.

"We'd have to move."

"Wouldn't be too hard.  We barely have an armful of stuff between the two of us."

Rey is quiet for a long moment.

"For a second there, I was worried about scavenging territory."

"I still can't get over having an input into where I sleep."

They fall into a companionable silence, watching the sunset from a rebel base with their fingers touching.

"Let's ask about the room," Rey finally says. "If it doesn't work out, we can keep the one we already have."

"Okay," Finn agrees easily. "Tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

The quiet sneaks back in, but it's peaceful, not awkward.  The noise of the base is far enough away that it fades into the background, and nobody will come looking for them unless there's an emergency.

They stay until the stars come out.

*

There are plenty of things forbidden to Stormtroopers.

But, then, Finn isn't a Stormtrooper.  Not anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is [xenosaurus](http://xenosaurus.tumblr.com)!


End file.
